Letter-file



(N6 ModeL) W. I. OHMER'.

LETTER FILE.

No. 470,440. Patented Mar. 8,1892.

WIT/V11 8 SE61 M mw \VILFRED I. OIIMER, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

LETTER-Fl LE.

.SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 470,440, dated March 8, 1892.

Application filed May 27, 1391. Serial No. 394,243. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IVILFRED I. OHMER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Letter-Files, of-whioh the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in paper-files used for filing away letters, bills, receipts, and other papers or documents.

The object of my invention is to provide a device for holding such papers or documents firmly down on the base or bottom and for supporting the same when thrown back in the act ofexamining one or more of the papers or of removing them and to combine it with a post or other holding device upon which such papers are strung; and my invention is designed to be used in connection with a file-box as well as with or upon a mere board or base.

The several peculiarities of my invention will be hereinafter more fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and upon which like reference-lettersindicatecorrespondingparts, Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my file; Fig. 2, a plan view of the same; Fig. 3, a detail side view of parts thereof; Fig. 4, a rear view of the same parts; Fig. 5, a detailed View on a large scale; Fig. 6, a plan view of the spring; Fig. 7, a detail elevation of the .hook and a section of the spring and bracket;

Fig. 8, a rear elevation of the device entire; and Fig. 9, a front elevation of the device and of a box for containing papers, letters, the.

The letter A designates a board or base, and the letter B a file-box, upon or within the one or the other of which I mount the file proper.

I will first describe the device as applied to a board or base.

The letter O designates a casting or bracket of brass or other suitable material screwed or otherwise secured upon the base, as shown at D, and having posts E, which form shoulders or abutments, against which the ends of the papers or documents abut after being strung upon the rod F, projecting from the bracket. The posts E have arms G extending from them and slotted at their lower edge, as shown at II, to receive a spring I, the ends of which are slightly enlarged, as shown at J, to prevent the endwise displacement of the spring. About midway between the arms G a lug or stud K extends from the bracket and is slotted, as shown particularly in Figs. 4, 7, and S. In the bottom of the slot is formed a recess L, in which is mounted the foot N of the hook O. This foot has a segmental slot P in it, which receives the spring I. The spring is put under tension by resting upon this foot in the middle part and by being under the arms G and having mounted above it and with the slots H the ends of the pressing and supporting bail Q. This tension of the spring performs two f unctions-namely, that of holding the foot end down in the socket, whereby it may be rocked back and forth, as on a pivot, and that of forcing the bail down upon the papers or documents strung upon rodl F.

Referring to the construction of the bail, it will be seen that it consists of a wire or rod forming a cross-piece and two sides, the ends of the latter being bent to constitute short shafts R, which work in the slots I-I above the spring I. The extreme ends of the bail, as shown at S, constitute projections from the short shafts, which act like cam-levers, so that the tension of the spring transfers a force to them at one side of the short shafts, causing the bail to be pressed downward on the other side of such shaft. It will now be understood that by throwing the bail back to the position shown in full lines in Fig. 5 the hook 0 may beremovedfrom the socket in the rod F and the papers or. documents strung on the post. Then by returning the bail to the position shown in full line in Figs. 1 and 2 the spring, acting through the cams or projections S, will cumbent upon the one to be examined or removed will he slipped over and backward upon the hook andrest upon the bail. Thus the bail becomes a support for the papers. The paper to be examined or removed is then readily accessible.

Referring now to Fig. 9, it will be seen that I have modified the bracket somewhat by omitting the posts E and the slot and recess in the central stud, lug, or elevated portion, as shown at a in Fig. 9. I have also placed the bracket in a vertical position to adapt it to be secured to the ends of the file-box B, as shown by the screws b, instead of upon the base A. In this form the spring I rests upon the central elevated part a, which extends out far enough for this purpose. The arms G and their slots, as also the spring itself, and the bail with its cams are the same as in the other figures. In file-boxes of this kind it is usual to have a rod or stem upon which the papers are strung. I have shown such rod or stem at c and broken it away in the intermediate part and shown it in dotted lines to prevent obscuring the remainder of the device. This rod or stem performs the same function n the device when applied to the file-box as 15 performed by the rod B when applied to the baseA. The hook O is also omitted when the application is made to the file-box. In either case, however, the operation of the spring and ball and the function of the bracket are preserved and utilized.

It is intended to use the device, as shown in Figsl and 2, &c., by placing it with its papers either on a desk or table or by hanging 1t up, or even by placing it in a pigeonhole of the cabinet. It is also intended to use the form shown in Fig. 9 in connection with a cabinet having pigeon-holes into which the file-box may be slid, the pigeon-hole having a door orinclosing slide, or not, according to the style of cabinet used.

I do not limit myself to the form or precise arrangement shown and described for carrying and operating the bail and hook, nor to the form of spring shown, since other arrangements and a different form of spring might be used.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

' 1. The combination, withasuitable support, a bracket secured thereto and having arms,

andan intermediate elevated part, of a spring resting upon such part and a bail mounted in said arms and having cams-acted upon by the ends of said spring to press the bail toward the papers to be held.

2. The combination, with a suitable support nd a bracket secured thereto and having papers to be held, the bail being capable of being thrown backward to constitute a support for the paper.

3. The combination, with a suitable support or base, of abracket secured thereto, a rod on which to string the papers, arms and an 1ntermediate part carried by the brackets, a spring resting upon such part, and a bail mounted in said arms and having cams acted upon by said spring, for the purpose described.

4. The combination, with a suitable support, of a bail mounted therein, a spring-action on said bail, and a hook pivotally mounted and adapted to move back and forth with or independently of the bail, the said spring exerting a tension on the bail to cause it to hold the papers down and exerting a force on the hook to hold it in adjusted positions.

5. The combination, with a suitable support or base, of a bracket secured thereto and having arms and a central stud or raised portion, a spring, a bail mounted in said arm and having cams engaged by said spring, and a hook having a foot mounted in said stud or raised part and slotted to receivesaid spring,

and a rod on which to string the papers.

6. The combination, with a suitable base or support, of a bracket secured thereto and having a rod, posts, arms, and a central slotted stud, of a hook having a foot mounted in the slot and itself having a slot, a spring mounted in the latter slot and fitted under said arms,

and a bail mounted in the arms above the spring and having cams engaged by said 1 spring.

7. The combination, with the bracket having arms and a central stud provided with a slot, of a spring fitted under the arm and a hook havinga foot and mounted in said slot, the spring engaging with the foot and pressing it downward.

8. The combination, with a bracket having arms and a raised part, of a bow-spring supported by said part and a bail mounted in said arms and having cams engaging with the spring.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in 5 presence of two witnesses.

WILFRED I. OHMER. Witnesses:

EDWIN P. MATrHEws, A. O. WIsEMAN.

ICO

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